new users should become comfortable
very quickly. With a large number of videos
available through the Learn button in the
toolbar, it’s easy to get up to speed quickly.

With presets in the left panel and
controls in the right, you no longer need
to toggle between the Presets and Adjust
tabs as you did in version 2. You can close
each of these panels separately for a
larger preview or use the backquote key
(unshifted tilde key) to close both panels
simultaneously. Unfortunately, when you
revert back to the program with panels, you
must maximize it again.

When working on a portrait, it is
possible to turn off controls that you would
use to adjust landscape images and vice
versa to save scrolling through a long list
in the control panel. The inclusion of new
sliders gives greater control over functions
that were previously available only
automatically.

WHAT WE LIKED

I am a photographer who enjoys
spending time perfecting a single image,
but I admit there are times when I just want
to quickly process an entire shoot and
have it available for review by myself or by
a client. Perfectly Clear V3 is an excellent
vehicle for this second need. As the plug-in
matures, I find myself tempted to work
longer in it to perfect a batch of selects to
complete an assignment, both for clients
and for my personal work. I like the ability
to batch-process files using Lightroom as a
front end, particularly for a portrait session
or event. The revised interface makes this
even quicker.

Version 3 gives me most everything
on my wish list from my version 2 review:
the program opens full screen without
dragging corners; a full screen preview is
available quickly; there is now a histogram
with clipping points; and a black point
slider is available (although I’m still waiting
for those highlight and shadows sliders).

And having the adjustments saved as a
Smart Filter when you access Perfectly Clear
through Photoshop is always an advantage
should you change your mind later.

The addition of Looks adds another
dimension to Perfectly Clear Complete.

The four that ship with the programare only a taste of what are sure to beadditional sets. There are already a fewavailable for purchase through Athentechalong with additional Preset Packs.

WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE

I honestly find very little to criticize
in Perfectly Clear Complete V3. From the
new look of the interface to the range of
built-in presets, the ability to create your
own presets, the new Looks, the portrait
and landscape adjustment options, it seems
to have all come together. Where Perfectly
Clear originally started out as a one-click
solution to improve an image, it is now a
fairly complete adjustment program on
its own. Yes, you still need other software
for it to plug into, but I’m wondering why—
with the addition of a white balance tool,
a raw file processor of its own and a few
other tools—it shouldn’t be a standalone
application. As it stands, other than
highlight and shadow sliders to adjust the
presets and the addition of a solo mode to
further lessen the need for scrolling through
the controls panel, there is very little that V3
lacks in its role as a plug-in.

However, I’m not a fan of the installation
process. The program and its updates
are installed through the Athentech
App Manager. So far, each of the two
updates have required the download and
installation of a new version of the 74 MB
App Manager, then the download and
installation of the Perfectly Clear plug-in.
This two-step process is one process too
many for me.

HOW I T COMPARES

To my knowledge, there is no other
program on the market that offers the full
range of presets available in V3. Others
offer bits of the automation found, but
Athentech keeps upping the bounty with
additional features such as the new Looks
and new presets, as well as improving
existing preset controls. Perfectly Clear
Complete V3 provides a wide range of
tools for portrait photographers wanting
to quickly and painlessly process a single
image or large group of similar images
with a minimum amount of time and effort
involved.

Stan Sholik is a commercial/advertising
photographer in Santa Ana, CA, specializing
in still life and macro photography.